This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-251121, filed Aug. 22, 2000, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a camera constituted by combining a plurality of units.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, it has been made generally to constitute to satisfy functions as the whole camera, by combining appropriately a plurality of units according a to the functions. It is very effective for reducing a fault generation rate during the camera assembly by performing the performance check of each unit, before assembling the camera, and increasing the assembly efficiency. Typically, the camera assembly is performed by attaching the plurality of function units to a camera body member comprising a cartridge chamber for housing a film cartridge, a spool chamber for winding a film in the film cartridge, an opening (aperture) for photographing, and the like.
In many cases, a lens frame unit including a photographing optical system is mounted at the initial stage of camera assembly and, thereafter, other function units are mounted on the camera body member. Therefore, at the disassembly of a completed camera, the lens frame unit is removed at the last stage of disassembly.
Similarly, in a zoom type camera having a variable magnification photographing optical system as proposed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 5-173223, it is necessary to link the lens frame unit and a finder unit by means of a driving coupling mechanism such as link, cam or the like in order to take correlation of variable magnification quantity between the lens frame unit having this variable magnification photographing optical system, and the finder unit having a variable magnification finder optical system. Consequently, in case of removing the lens frame unit from the camera body member, first, the finder unit is removed, and at the same time, the coupling of the driving coupling mechanism is released, followed by taking out the lens frame unit.
Among the respective units constituting a camera, the lens frame unit including the photographing optical system requires a high accuracy for securing optical performance. In addition, complicated mechanisms requiring respectively a high accuracy such as focusing mechanism, variable magnification mechanism in case of zoom type camera, driving mechanism for retracting the barrel when not used, and shutter mechanism for lens shutter camera are incorporated, which increases an occurrence rate of fault or the like compared to the other function unit. Besides, since a part of the lens frame unit often protrudes outside, the unit is likely to receive impact from outside when dropped, and this is also one of causes of increase in the occurrence rate of fault or the like of the lens frame unit.
On the other hand, in case where any fault has occurred in only the lens frame unit, only the lens frame unit can be replaced or repaired, however, in the conventional camera as mentioned above, it was necessary to remove also printed circuit board, finder unit or the like, when the lens frame unit is removed from the camera body member. Consequently, it took time and cost for disassembly and repair.
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems and has an object to provide a camera capable of performing the disassembly, repair and assembly easily, by making the lens frame unit easily detachable with respect to the camera body member.
In order to solve the problems and achieve the object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a camera constituted by combining a plurality of units, comprising a camera body member, a lens frame unit attachable to the camera body member, and a function unit which is a unit other than this lens frame unit and is attachable to the camera body member. The lens frame unit is constituted to be coupled to or separated from the camera body member in a state where the coupling between the function units and the camera body member is maintained.
In addition, according to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a camera, comprising a camera body member, a photographing optical unit including a photographing optical system attachable to the camera body member, and a finder unit including a finder optical system for observing a photography object. It is so constituted that the photographing optical unit and the finder unit can be mounted on the camera body member, and the photographing optical system can be removed from the camera body member without removing the other units from a state where these plurality of units are mounted.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.